An electrical connector is known in the state of the art, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,761 for use in data communications systems having insulation displacement contacts IDC. The electrical connector receives a communications cable including a set of individually insulated wires which are set in the corresponding IDC contacts of the electrical connector.
The electrical connector also includes a dielectric housing, a terminal insert, a contact subassembly and a wire fixture for retaining the communications cable in an appropriate position for termination of the electrical connector.
The terminal insert includes a printed circuit board that cooperates with the IDC insulation displacement contacts, in order to electrically connect the line wires with the respective terminals.
The contact subassembly includes a contact dielectric holder which holds a plurality of insulation displacement contacts IDC these are generally aligned in rows parallel to the back part of the electrical connector, i.e., in proximity to the part of the wire fixture for which the communications cable enters the electrical connector.
The IDC contacts are designed to receive in each a line wire included in the communications cable. A wire insertion face is provided for receiving each of these wires and to plug in or subsequently connect in the posterior part of the connector proceeding to push each line wire into its respective IDC. The wire fixture of the cover makes a pivotal movement or a plugging movement of the line wires into the IDC contacts.
The cover comprises connection thrusters so that in their closing movement, they push and progressively approximate each line wire, through a lever effect, to its fully plugged in position in the posterior part of the electrical connector.
A disadvantage of the electrical connector or modular female socket is that it requires to connect an external circuit to the electrical connector to meet electrical functionalities such as to check voltage in the communications wires connected to the electrical connector and to verify the correct polarity of the connection made between the line wires and the IDC contacts or detecting presence/absence of connector at the far-end of the communication line. This external circuit complicates the installation practice adding time and cost as well as risk of failure while ease of application was the initial benefit of the connector.
There is therefore, a need to supply a modular female socket which includes IDC insulation displacement contacts and a cover which includes a wire fixture to retain the line wires of the communication cable and a checker circuit of the communication line connectivity to the electrical connector.